Record Participation and Minimal Waste at Iller Clean-Up Event in Oberallgäu

In a remarkable demonstration of community spirit, the recent Iller Clean-Up initiative saw its highest participation yet, with 32 dedicated volunteers joining forces to clean the banks of the Iller River. Organized by the Allgäu Outdoor Companies Association (VAO), this year's event took place across nearly 10 kilometers of river between Fischen and Sonthofen.

Over the course of four hours, these volunteers successfully collected approximately 90 kilograms of waste, a notable reduction compared to previous years. Historical data reveals that just a few years ago, the clean-up efforts yielded about 600 kilograms of waste, indicating a positive trend towards a cleaner river environment.

The event highlighted the effectiveness of previous clean-up efforts, as sections that had been thoroughly cleaned in the past showed significantly less debris. The majority of the waste collected this year consisted of plastic packaging and glass bottles. Encouragingly, the gravel banks were found to be cleaner than in previous years, which had often been littered with evidence of past gatherings.

Thanks to the large number of volunteers and support from local businesses, including dm-Markt Immenstadt, the entire designated stretch of the river was thoroughly surveyed. The collected waste was then handed over to the Kempten Waste Management Authority (ZAK) for proper disposal.

This year's clean-up event also marked the beginning of the 'Müllfreies Allgäu' challenge, a friendly competition between the East and Upper Allgäu regions aimed at encouraging residents to collect waste and contribute their findings to the competition. This initiative will run until October 12, inviting all community members to participate actively in maintaining the cleanliness of their environment. More information can be found at www.patron-nature.org/challenge-muellfreies-allgaeu.

The VAO extends its gratitude to all volunteers and sponsors who made this event possible, including dm-Markt Immenstadt, DMG Mori Pfronten, ZAK, and BOSCH, along with three VAO member companies: Canyonauten from Burgberg, Outdoorzentrum, and MAP-Erlebnis from Bihlerdorf.